Top of page

Monochrome panorama of Chicago skyline
Postcard shows panoramic city view of Chicago taken from the Insurance Exchange Building." Chicago: Max Rigot; c1912. Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Made at the Library: Making Mexican Chicago with Mike Amezcua

Share this post:

“The Windy City,” “The City of Big Shoulders,” and even “Second City” have long been nicknames ascribed to one of the nation’s premier, but often overlooked, metropolises: Chicago. The capital of the Midwest has served as home for any number of immigrant groups over the course of the twentieth century – Poles, Czechs, and Irish to name just three – and the incorporation of these groups into Chicago’s built environment and political culture has shaped the city in countless ways. However, over the last 75 years, few communities have influenced the city as have its Mexican and Mexican American residents. Today, the city’s demographics break very roughly into thirds – one third white, one third Black, and one third Latino, predominantly Mexican/Mexican American, yet Chicago Latinos remain understudied in their impact on the city’s fortunes and politics.

With this in mind, join us on June 26 at noon for a discussion of Making Mexican Chicago with Georgetown University history professor and author Mike Amezcua, Manuscript Division historian Ryan Reft, and Manuscript Division reference librarian Loretta Deaver. Amezcua will explore the role Mexican Chicagoans, notably moderates and conservatives within the community, played in housing, politics, community development and urban culture while also highlighting their contributions to the larger conservative movement.

The event will take place online only on Monday, June 26, 2023, 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT. Register for the program here.

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].

Made at the Library is an event series highlighting works inspired by and emerging from research at the Library of Congress. Featuring authors, artists and other creators in conversation with Library experts, this series takes a deep dive into the process of working with the Library’s collections.

Do you want more stories like this? Then subscribe to Unfolding History – it’s free!

Add a Comment

This blog is governed by the general rules of respectful civil discourse. You are fully responsible for everything that you post. The content of all comments is released into the public domain unless clearly stated otherwise. The Library of Congress does not control the content posted. Nevertheless, the Library of Congress may monitor any user-generated content as it chooses and reserves the right to remove content for any reason whatever, without consent. Gratuitous links to sites are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments. We further reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to remove a user's privilege to post content on the Library site. Read our Comment and Posting Policy.


Required fields are indicated with an * asterisk.